Construction of collapsible sanitary wire belts



F. HOOPER 3,04

SANITARY WIRE BELTS July 10, 1962 CONSTRUCTION OF COLLAPSIBLE Filed Dec. 1, 1959 INVENTOR. FRED L. HOOPEA BY W186: za m/ fiz United States Patent 3,043,544 CONSTRUCTION OF COLLAPSIBLE SANITARY WIRE BELTS Fred 1... Hooper, Cambridge, Md., assignor to Cambridge Wire Cloth Company, a corporation of Maryland Filed Dec. 1, 1959, Ser. No. 856,459

, 3 Claims. (Cl. 245-6) This invention relates to types of construction for woven wire fabric such as is used in conveyor belts whereby the fabric may be collapsed or moved into a configuration where clearance is provided between and around all parts, which permits removal of all foreign matter or, as explained hereafter, permits the fabric to be completely sanitized with a detergent or other cleansing agent.

The purpose of this invention is to provide fabric constructions for woven wire belts which enable the user to quickly and easily clean the fabric of all foreign matter.

The specific present use is as a belt to convey products in the food industry where the possibility of bacteria growth being transferred from the belt to the product must be held to a minimum. In the past this possibility presented little difficulty due to the fact that the food product, at least once during the processing, was subjected to a temperature sufficiently high to kill all bacteria. However, with the advent of frozen foods the industry underwent an abrupt change. Any bacteria al lowed to grow on the belt may be transferred to the food product being carried by the belt, as such bacteria will remain in a dormant state while frozen and will not be killed by the freezing process. Subsequently, when the consumer thaws the product, the bacteria initially present will initiate an action whereby the quantity of bacteria will double at a rate on the order of once each 2.0 minutes. This bacteria growth during the thawing process causes deterioration of the product. Consequently, the product must be prepared and frozen with an absolute minimum of bacteria present and hence the belt must be one that is easily sanitized.

Belt constructions presently utilized in this industry are composed of interwoven spirals or of spirals connected with a rod. In the first type of construction the spirals are interwoven and at regular intervals, normally every other spiral, will move longitudinally (in the direction of the length of the belt), with respect to each other. This movement separates the small radii of the spirals and permits removal of foreign matterwhich would normally be lodged there.

However, the remainder of the spirals are interwoven and interlocked as distinguished from being only interwoven. These spirals, being interlocked, do not allow longitudinal movement of one with respect to another. Therefore, the small radii of the spirals are held in close contact one with another which permits foreign matter to become trapped and does not allow the belt to be properly sanitized.

The second type of construction is one which uses a rod, either crimped or straight, as a bearing surface between the spirals. In this construction the spirals will move longitudinally with respect to each other and will permit sanitizing. However, the rods are rigidly fastened to the spirals at regular intervals and permit foreign matter to be entrapped at the point where the two meet.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to present constructions whereby the individual components of the belt may be moved out of intimate contact one with another and allow sanitizing. In the case of belt constructions composed of interwoven and interlocked spirals it is the object of this invention to present a construction whereby the belt does not contain interlocked spirals and "ice may, therefore, be moved longitudinally into a configuration which permits free and open access to all parts of the spirals for sanitizing.

Another object of the invention is to present types of construction whereby the component parts are given limited freedom of movement longitudinally for sanitizing, but which upon return to normal operating conditions causes all component parts to return exactly to their initial relative positions. In other words the spirals must not tend to rotate with respect to one another and the spirals must not displace laterally with respect to each other. I

Another important object of the invention is to provide a woven wire fabric conveyor belt in which coils or spirals are interwoven in which each spiral is an independent element whereby each component part moves in relation to all other component parts so that with the belt collapsed all connecting portions are separated.

A still further object of this invention is to provide present types of construction by which the collapsible feature is attained by relatively simple and inexpensive means.

The above mentioned objects are attained by constructing the belt in such a manner that no component is rigidly fastened to any other coponent of the belt. Instead, the components are loosely fastened so as to provide limited longitudinal movement of one component with respect to another for sanitizing the belt and so as to restrict any relative lateral movement of components.

In the type of construction composed of interwoven spirals this is accomplished in the following manner. After the spiral is interwoven with adjoining spirals the spiral end is cut in such a way that the long side of the spiral convolution is left projecting. This projection is then rotated approximately in the plane of the belt toward the center of the belt and is fastened to the adjoining convolution of the same spiral. In this way a closed loop is formed at the spiral end which may be intermeshed with a similar closed loop on the adjoining spiral to form a unit in which the components are fastened together but which allows limited longitudinal movement.

In considering the orientation of the closed loop it may or may not be different on one end of the spiral as compared to the opposite end of the same spiral. However, intermeshing loops on either side of the belt must be orientated out of phase one with another in order to obtain the objectives listed earlier.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view showing a section of an interwoven wire fabric conveyor belt in which the parts are in tension wherein convolutions of one spiral are drawn into convolutions of adjoining spirals.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the section of conveyor belt shown in FIGURE 1 with the parts in tension as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a section of interwoven wire conveyor belt with the spirals collapsed providing spaces between the connection of one convolution with the convolution of an adjoining spiral and in which the parts are shown on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 4 is an end elevational view of the interwoven wire mesh conveyor belt shown in FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the collapsible interwoven wire fabric belt of this invention includes a plurality of spiral elements 10 and 11 which are intermeshed but which are not interlocked, and the spiral elements and 11 each includes convolutions 12 that comprise arcuate bight portions 13, as well as oppositely extending straight portions 14.

The ends of the spiral elements 10 and 11 are shaped to include loops 15 and 16 that are defined by first sections 17 and second straight sections 1 8, and by first sections 19 and second sections 20, and a curved section 21 interconnects the straight sections 17 and 18, while curved sections 22 interconnect the straight sections 19 and 20. The numerals 23 and 24 indicate points of securemen-t such as points where the straight sections may be welded to adjoining convolutions.

As shown in the drawings, a loop 15 of one spiral element is inter-meshed with an adjacent portion or convolution' of a contiguous spiral element.

The first sections 17 of alternate spiral elements are oriented in the same direction, and the second sections of alternate spiral elements are also oriented in a similar direction with respect to each other, but the first sections are arranged out of phase or angularly with respect to the second sections on each spiral element, and also the sections of the end loops of adjoining spiral elements are out of phase with respect to each other, as for example as shown in FIGURE 3.

With the parts formed as illustrated and described, no positive connections are provided between the spiral elements 1'0 and 11, so that meshing bight portions such as v the bight portions 13 separate as portions of the belt are pushed together providing open areas between the convolutions of the spirals or coils.

By this means a woven wire fabric conveyor belt is provided in which each spiral is independent and any 'two' spirals are not connected. With the spirals formed in this manner every spiral is movable in relation to spirals at the sides, or adjoining spirals. whereby all surfaces of one spiral are spaced from meshing surfaces of adjoining spirals so that a detergent or other cleansing agent may be circulated between all surfaces of meshing spirals.

Consequently, no single component is rigidly fastened to any other component and each may move with respect to another. However, when the belt is pulled taut all components will return to their initial positions.

A belt constructed in accordance with this invention provides the user with a unit by which a cleaning or sanitizing agent may reach every part of the belt. When the belt is collapsed by a means at the discretion of the user each individual component will move out of close contact with other components and will allow various sanitizing methods to adequately clean every part of the belt. Then when the belt is again pulled taut and normal operation resumes every individual component will return to its initial position leaving the belt clean and transferring a minimum of foreign matter or bacteria.

the spirit of the invention.

collapsed so that clearance is provided around and be-' tween all parts, comprising a plurality of spiral elements which are intermeshed and whereby complete separation of the spiral elements is prevented, and wherein the spiral elements are mounted for movement towards and away from each other, said spiral elements including convolutions that embody arcuate bight portions and oppositely extending straight portions, the ends of the spiral elements being shaped to include loops that are each defined by first and second straight sections, the first and second sections being arranged 'angularly with respect to each other, said first sections being secured to straight portions that are contiguous to said second section-s, there being a curved section interconnecting the first and second sections together, a loop of one spiral element being interrneshed with an end convolution of an adjoining spiral element, and wherein with the belt in collapsed formation, foreign matter can be readily removed therefrom, and wherein with the belt in collapsed position, the belt can be completely sanitized.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the first straight sections of alternate spiral elements are oriented in the same direction, and wherein the second straight sections of alternate spiral elements are also oriented in the same direction.

3. A Woven wire conveyor belt comprising a plurality of spiral elements which are intermeshed and whereby complete separation of the spiral elements is prevented,

and wherein the spiral elements are mounted for movement towards and away from each other, said spiral elements including convolutions that embody arcuate bight portions and oppositely extending straight portions, the ends of the spiral elements being shaped to include loops that are each defined by first and second straight sections, the first and second sections being arranged angularly with respect to each other, said first sections being secured to straight portions that are contiguous to said second sections, there being a curved section interconnecting the first and second sections together, a loop of one spiral element being intermeshed with an end convolution of an adjoining contiguous spiral element, and said first straight sections of alternate spiral elements being oriented in the same direction, the second straight sections of alternate spiral elements being also oriented in the same direction with respect to each other, the first and second straight sections of adjoining spiral elements being arranged angularly with respect to each other and being arranged out of phase with respect to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED'STATES PATENTS G m y -c--, D c- 29, 

